Giorgio Armani: ‘Fashion needs to slow down and produce less, but better’
Giorgio Armani was the first globally renowned designer to respond to the pandemic – showing his most recent catwalk collection behind closed doors. Now, as his factories make PPE and Milan reopens, he predicts what the industry and life will look like po
for many in fashion, your choice to hold your autumn/winter ’20 show behind closed doors was the first sign of what was to come with Covid-19. How did you reach that decision?
The moment I perceived the seriousness of the situation, I couldn’t expose so many people – my employees, journalists, buyers – who would have been involved in the fashion show, putting their health at risk. I looked for an alternative that would not have stopped the system and would have protected everyone. I think I made a wise choice, which I would repeat. How had your week been going up until that point?
It was a week of intense work, like all those that precede the shows, although inevitably influenced by the news that kept coming. I remember thinking that what was going on in China wasn’t so far any more. You were also one of the first to convert your factories to manufacture essential equipment for doctors and nurses.
The factories were closed and the need for protective equipment for medical staff on the frontline was getting bigger. The decision to convert the production in order to make gowns seemed to me inevitable. Doctors and nurses are making a fundamental contribution, risking their own health and lives every day. I wanted to thank them for their commitment, the self-sacrifice with which they do their job.
Many war metaphors have been used during this pandemic. But you belong to a generation that has actually lived through war. Do you see any similarities?
We are ‘fighting’, but against an invisible and global enemy. The fear, for me and my loved ones, is the same. But also the great desire to start again, but with a different rhythm, taking full advantage of this experience. What do you remember in particular from the war years?
Harshness, but also the way my mother knew how to make those moments less painful for us children. And then I remember the time spent in San Nicolò, about 30km from Piacenza, where we moved. As far as we could, we tried to lead a normal existence between neighbours. Over time I realised how precious that way of solidarity was. As Milan reopens, what advice would you give to Londoners looking forward to re-entering life after lockdown?
London is a city I feel very close to. Even closer now that the pandemic has brought us all together to fight the same enemy. In this extraordinary and unprecedented moment, the message I would like to send to Londoners is the same that I would send to all cities: stay strong and united. Together we can come through this terribly difficult time. I know lockdown is hard, but it is a suffering worth fronting. What were some of the small luxuries and pleasures that kept your spirits up while you were in quarantine?
To be honest, my biggest luxury has been the opportunity to work at a slower pace, actually taking time to develop thoughts. Being confined, in fact, put my mind into a very productive and creative state. I have been thinking a lot about how to create something more meaningful, while also rethinking the fashion calendars, reducing the number of shows staged every year. I have decided to optimise time and resources, showing menswear and womenswear together in September, for instance. On a daily basis, spending a couple of hours in the garden every day has been one of the highlights of the quarantine. What did you miss most in quarantine?
I missed human interactions: real ones, not filtered by a screen. How do you think the past few months of closure will impact the fashion industry in the long-term?
The impact will be huge and potentially destructive, I think, but I do not see destruction in a negative way. Rather, as an opportunity to fix what was wrong and create a meaningful new landscape. The fashion industry can no longer afford to ignore that luxury takes time to be achieved and to be appreciated. It cannot and must not be fast. Fashion needs to slow down and produce less, but better, and this is the perfect moment to do so. From your view, which parts and aspects of the fashion industry will change as a result of coronavirus?
The decline of the fashion system as we know it began when the luxury segment adopted the operating methods of fast fashion, mimicking the latter’s endless delivery cycle in the hope of selling more, yet forgetting that luxury is something else. It makes no sense for one of my jackets or suits to live in the shop for three weeks before becoming obsolete, replaced by new goods that are not too different. I don’t work like that, and I find it immoral to do so. This crisis is an opportunity to stop it and restart. I have been working with my teams for weeks so that, after lockdown, the summer collections will remain in the boutiques at least until the beginning of September, as it makes sense if they are genuinely connected to the progression of nature’s seasons. And we will do this from now on. Most of my fashion peers are of the same opinion, and I am happy about that. In February, you made a stand for sustainability during your A/W ’20 Emporio Armani show with your recycled capsule. Do you think the circumstances with Covid-19 will inspire more brands to follow suit and prioritise sustainability with their work?
I really hope that fashion will review its priorities and learn from this experience, adopting a more sustainable approach overall. I have been very vocal – well before the current situation – about this. I hope too that people will consume in a more thoughtful and considered way – focusing on things that are well-made and have longevity, and turn away from the hectic cycle of fast fashion. This is sustainable just as well. After the current crisis, I think we are all going to be more attuned to the wonders of the natural world, as we have been denied access to these in an unprecedented way; because of this, I expect we will value them more and seek to preserve and protect them more vigorously.
‘BEING CONFINED PUT ME IN A VERY CREATIVE STATE’